Thermometer reversing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A thermometer reversing apparatus having a case for containing thermometers therein rotatably and releasably secured to a rotatable ring member that is mounted on a mounting member which in turn is mounted on a water sampler bottle. A pair of bolts which are secured to the ring member have heads received by enlarged openings in the thermometer case which upon sliding into smaller communicating openings locks the case to the ring member by means of a retractable locking pin that is mounted on the ring member and is slid into an opening in the thermometer case. A rotatable stop member which maintains the thermometer case and the ring member in locked position by preventing the sliding of the locking pin out of the opening in the thermometer case may be rotated to permit release of the locking pin and the thermometer case to be removed from the rotatable ring member.

[ 1 Feb. 26, 1974 THERMOMETER REVERSING APPARATUS [57] ABSTRACT Athermometer reversing apparatus having a case for Inventor: Shale J.Niskin, 5535 N. W. 7th

Ave, Miami, Fla. 33127 Feb. 7, 1973 containing thermometers thereinrotatably and releasably secured to a rotatable ring member that is [22]Filed:

Appl. No.1 330,268 mounted on a mounting member which in turn is mountedon a water sampler bottle. A pair of bolts which are secured to the ringmember have heads re ceived by enlarged openings in the thermometer casewhich upon sliding into smaller communicating open ings locks the caseto the ring member by means of a retractable locking pin that is mountedon the ring member and is slid into an opening in the thermometer case.A rotatable stop member which maintains the [5 6] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS thermometer case and the ring member in locked p0-tated to permit release of the locking pin and the thermometer case tobe removed from the rotatable ring member.

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Queisser Assistanl Examiner-Daniel M. YasichAttorney, Agent, or FirmSulvatore G. Militana 5 Claims, 9 DrawingFigures PATENTED 3,793,889

sum 1 0F 4 FIG-5 VFIG.1

PATENTED FEBZ 6197-1 SHEET 1t 0F 4 THERMOMETER REVERSING APPARATUS CROSSREFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention is an improvement onthe thermometer reversing apparatus shown and described in my US. Pat.No. 3,242,70, entitled Water Sampler System issued on Mar. 29, 1966.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates generally to a device for mounting reversing thermometers onwater sampling apparatus and is more particularly directed to athermometer containing case that is readily secured in position on arotatable ring member which permits the reversing of the thermometer andis as readily removed therefrom.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior to applicants invention as shownand described in his US. Pat. No. 3,242,740, all devices for collectingsamples from the ocean and other bodies of water that provided forreversing thermometers would rotate the thermometer by rotating theentire apparatus including the bottle of water. Applicants patentdisclosed a device for reversing the position of the thermometer byitself without changing the position of the water sampler bottle.However, the mounting for the thermometer containing case is permanentlyaffixed to the water sampler so that the thermometer containing casecould not be separated from the sampler. Consequently the thermometershad to be removed from the case when the thermometers were to beexamined for the temperatures recorded thereon. Since the thermometersare fragile and had to be handled with a great deal of care, aftersamples of water were taken and the apparatus brought up to the surfaceof the water, the entire water sampler bottle with the thermometers andtheir cases affixed thereto were removed as a unit and brought to thelaboratory for removal of the thermometers. Since a great deal of timewould elapse between the interim between the temperature of the waterbeing registered on the thermometer and the recording of thattemperature so that the true temperature of the water would be differentfrom that read off the thermometer. In order to obtain the actualtemperature of the water from a reversing thermometer, the periodbetween the taking of the water temperature and the reading of thattemperature from the thermometer should be as brief as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ter containing case which rotates through anarc of approximately 180 when a messenger is caused to operate therelease device thereof and which is removed from the apparatus alongwith the thermometers in order to record an accurate temperature of thewater at the moment of the reversing release device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a case forthermometers that is readily mounted on a reversing apparatus forrecording temperatures of water at designated depths wherein the case isprovided with bayonet type openings for securing the case to a mountingring rotatably mounted on a water sampler bottle and a lock pin forreleasably securing the case to the mounting ring to permit a quickmounting and dismounting of the theremometer case to the mounting ring.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, with the understanding, however, that the inventionis not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of thedrawings but may be changed or mofified so long as such changes ormodifications mark no material departure from the salient features ofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water sampler bottle on which mythermometer containing and reversing apparatus is mounted.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are side elevational views thereof, the dotted lines inFIG. 3 showing the device after the thermometers have been reversed.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views taken along the lines 4-4 and5-5 respectively of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to that of FIG. 4 with its lockingdevice in the release position to permit removal of the thermometerholder.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of my thermometer holder and releaseapparatus.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of my device partially broken away asshown removed from the water sampler bottle.

FIG. 9 is a view opposite that of FIG. 8 of the mounting apparatus asseen removed from the thermometer case.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawingswherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout theseveral views, the numeral 10 refers to my thermometer reversingapparatus which is shown mounted on a water sampling bottle 11. Thebottle 11 which forms no part of the present invention collects a bottleof sea water at a prescribed depth, at which depth the thermometerreversing apparatus 10 as is explained in detail hereinafter, isoperated to rotate about its base mounting member 12 approximately Thethermometers 13, of which there are three in number, are housed in acase 14, are reversing thermometers that upon being reversed in positionwill retain the temperature recorded at the moment they are rotated. Byusing three such thermometers the exact depth of water at the moment ofreversing may be ascertained.

The mounting member 12 fastened to the water sampler 11 by bolts 15 isprovided with an integrally mounted cylindrical hub 16 having aperipheral groove 17 about which the thermometer case 14 rotates. At thelower edge portion of the mounting member 12 there are two slots 18 and19, (See FIGS. 8 and 9) slot 18 extending through the entire thicknessof the mounting member while the slot 19 extends only partiallytherethrough to provide a support for a pivot pin 20. The latter providerotational movement for a stop member 21 having a lock pin 22 extendingtherefrom.

The lock member 21 is circular in configuration with a flat or truncatedside 62 on one portion of its periphery.

A mounting ring 23 is provided with a central opening 24 for rotationalmovement about the hub 16. The peripheral edge portion of the ring 23 isprovided with a slot 25 and a pair of oppositely positioned threadedbores 26 and 27 for receiving plastic bolts 28 and 29 respectively whoseends project into the peripheral groove 17 for locking the ring 23 andhub 16 together but permitting the ring 23 to rotate about the hub 16.The bolt 29 extends beyond the hub 16 as at 30 terminating in an openslot 31 for retaining the end of an elastic member 32 that extends aboutthe ring 23 lying in the peripheral groove 25 and whose other end issecured to a bracket 33 that is mounted on the bottle 11.

Positioned on the face of the mounting ring 23 are two threaded bores 34for receiving bolts 35 having enlarged heads 36. The bores 34 are of acertain depth to permit threading the bolts 35 therein whereby the heads36 are positioned a predetermined distance from the surface of the ringmember 23. Also, found on the mounting ring 23 is a bore 37 whichextends through the ring 23 communicating with an open slot 38 formed onthe rear portion of the ring 23. Positioned in the bore 37 is the tip 39of a combined lock and brake rod 40. The tip portion 39 extends at rightangle to the main body of the rod 40 and is substantially longer thanthe thickness of the mounting ring 23. As is explained in detailhereinafter, the tip portion 39 operates as a releasable locking memberfor securing the ring 23 to the mounting member 12 while the other endportion 41 operates as a brake which stops the continued rotation of themounting ring 23 by impinging on the elastic member 32 that normallycauses the rotation of the mounting ring 23 and the thermometer case 14to which it is attached.

The thermometer case 14 is a rectangular receptacle having a rear wall42, upper and lower front walls 43 to form a chamber 44. Longitudinalcavities are formed in the chamber 44 for receiving the three reversingthermometers 13. The rear wall 42 is provided with bores or openings 45,46 and 47, the bore 45 receiving the tip 39 of the rod 40 while the pairof cummunicating openings 46 and 47 form bayonet type openings forreceiving the exposed ends of the bolts 35 with the head 36 of the bolts34 being received by the larger bores 46. With the heads 36 of the bolts35 engaging the inner surface of the rear wall 42 of the thermometercase 14, the latter is shifted to slide the bolts 35 into the smalleropenings 47 to lock the thermometer case 14 to the mounting ring 23.

There is longitudinally mounted on the bottle 11 a relay messengeroperated device -M- that restrains the rotation of the thermometer case11 until a desired depth of water has been reached and a messenger suchas a weight 48 that slides down a line 49 shown in dotted lines in FIG.1 operates to actuate a release of the restraint as explainedhereinafter. A plurality of brackets 50, 51 and 52 are secured to thebottle 11 with each of the brackets having an opening that is invertical alignment for receiving a rod 53 slidably positioned therein.The line 49 is secured as at 54 to the side of the uppermost bracket 50.The rod 53 is provided with a collar 55 forming a shoulder that engagesthe lower surface of the bracket 51 by virtue of a coil spring 56, thelatter extending between the collar 55 and the lowermost bracket 52.Extending upwardly of the collar 55 is a pin 57 that extends through abore in the bracket 51 and across an open portion formed by a slot 58that extends across the mid-portion thereof. The pin 57 engages a loop59 of a restraining line 60 whose other end is secured to the bottomportion of the thermometers case 14. The theremometers 13 are insertedand removed from the case 14 through a removable cover 61 that isfastened to the top of the case 14 by studs 62 and wing nuts 63.

It can readily be seen that when the water sampler 11 is at the depth atwhich a sample of water is being obtained and the thermometers 13 haveregistered the temperature thereof, the weight 48 is released andpermitted to slide down the line 49. When the weight strikes the top endof the rod 53, the latter will slide downwardly against the spring force56 to cause the pin 57 to slide downwardly and release the loop 59 ofthe restraining line 60. The elastic member 32 which had been tensionedby being wound about the ring 23 and its ends secured to the retainingmembers 30 and 33, will now cause the thermometer case 14 to rotateabout an arc of approximately when the end portion 41 of the rod 40abuts against the elastic member 32 to stop the rotation of thethermometer case 14. The thermometer readings will now be unaffected bychanges in water temperature as the water sampler bottle 11 is broughtto the surface of the water.

At this time the thermometer case 11 is quickly and readily removed fromits mounting 12 on the bottle 11 by simply swinging the lock pin 22clockwise as seen in FIG. 8 or counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 9,thereby causing the truncated portion 62 of the stop member 21 to becomealigned with the cavity in the bore 19 formed by the flat edge portion62 of the lock member 21 lying parallel and in spaced relation to thelock rod 40. Now, the lock and brake rod 40 is slid rearwardly of thebore 37 from the position shown by FIG. 4 to that shown by FIG. 6whereby the tip 39 and the lock and brake rod 40 is removed from thebore 45 and clear of the rear wall 42 of the thermometer case 14.

The thermometer case 14 can now be slid downwardly on the bolts 35 tomove the bolts 35 from the position of the bores 47 to that of theenlarged bores 46 which permit the thermometer case 14 to be removedfrom the mounting member 12 as the heads 36 of the bolts 35 slip throughthe openings 46. The thermometer case 14 with the thermometers 13therein can now be safely and carefully brought to the laboratory wherethe readings on the thermometers 13 are noted and then laterthermometers 13 removed to be restored to its original reading forreuse.

The remainder of the apparatus 10 such as the mounting member 12,mounting ring 23, bracket 33 and messenger operated mechanism -M- arenot removed from the bottle 11 so that upon reuse of the bottle 1 1, allthat need be done is return the thermometer case 14 to the bottle 11 byplacing the head of the bolts 36 in the openings 46 and then sliding thecase 14 downwardly until the bolts 47 are received by the smaller bores47. The lock rod 40 is then pushed forwardly along the bore 37 of themounting ring 23 until the tip 39 of the rod 40 is received by the bore45 of the rear wall 42 of the thermometer case 14, the latter now beingsecured to the mounting ring 23. Upon rotating the stop member 21 bymeans of the rod 22 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 9, the stopmember 21 will engage the lock rod 40 to prevent the tip 39 of the lockand brake rod 40 from sliding outwardly of the opening 45, so that thethermometer case 14 remains secured at all times to the mounting ring 23which in turn is rotatably mounted on the mounting member 12 secured tothe bottle 11.

With the thermometer case 14 mounted on the bottle 1 1 as aforesaid, thecase 14 is now rotated clockwise to the position shown by FIG. 1 causingthe mounting ring 23 to rotate therewith to tension the elastic member32. A downward force is applied on the top end of the rod 53 to depressthe pin 57 to receive the loop 59 of the line 60. Upon releasing the rod53, the pin 57 engages the loop 59 and thereby prevents the rotation ofthe thermometer case 14 until such time as the rod 53 is depressed bythe force of the falling messenger weight What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a water sampling device including thermometer reversing apparatushaving one or more thermometers therein comprising a case for retainingthe thermometers having a rear wall, a grooved mounting ring, meansreleasably securing said thermometer case to said mounting ring, a basemember secured to said water sampling device, said base member having asubstantially cylindrical hub portion and a peripheral groove formedabout said hub portion, means mounted on said mounting ring and receivedby said peripheral groove permitting the rotation of said mounting ringabout said hub portion, flexible means secured at one end to saidmounting ring and the other end to said water sampling deviceselectively and yieldingly urging the rotation of said mounting ring andsaid thermometer case and restraining means selectively secured to saidthermometer case preventing the rotation of said case.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said releasable securingmeans comprises at least one bolt secured to said mounting ring, saidbolt having an en larged head portion in spaced relation to saidmounting ring, a first opening positioned on said rear wall receivingsaid enlarged head portion, a second opening smaller in diameter thansaid first opening communieating with said first opening and receivingsaid bolt upon the movement of said case relative to said mounting ringwhereby said case is secured to said mounting ring, a third openingpositioned on said rear wall and first pin means movably mounted on saidmounting ring and received by said third opening for releasablypreventing the movement of said thermometers case on said mounting ring.

3. The structure as recited by claim 2 taken in combination with a lockmember rotatably mounted on said base member engaging said pin means forreleasably preventing the movement of said pin means.

4. The structure as recited by claim 3 wherein said lock member isrotatably mounted in a cavity formed on said base member adjacent saidhub portion, said lock member being substantially cylindrical with atruncated portion along one side thereof, pin second means rotatablymounting said lock member in said cavity whereby said truncated portionmay be aligned with said first pin means to permit movement thereof forreleasing said thermometer case from said mounting ring.

5. The structure as recited by claim 4 wherein said first pin meansengages said flexible means upon the rotation of said mounting ring andsaid thermometer case and braking said case.

1. In a water sampling device including thermometer reversing apparatushaving one or more thermometers therein comprising a case for retainingthe thermometers having a rear wall, a grooved Mounting ring, meansreleasably securing said thermometer case to said mounting ring, a basemember secured to said water sampling device, said base member having asubstantially cylindrical hub portion and a peripheral groove formedabout said hub portion, means mounted on said mounting ring and receivedby said peripheral groove permitting the rotation of said mounting ringabout said hub portion, flexible means secured at one end to saidmounting ring and the other end to said water sampling deviceselectively and yieldingly urging the rotation of said mounting ring andsaid thermometer case and restraining means selectively secured to saidthermometer case preventing the rotation of said case.
 2. The structureas recited by claim 1 wherein said releasable securing means comprisesat least one bolt secured to said mounting ring, said bolt having anenlarged head portion in spaced relation to said mounting ring, a firstopening positioned on said rear wall receiving said enlarged headportion, a second opening smaller in diameter than said first openingcommunicating with said first opening and receiving said bolt upon themovement of said case relative to said mounting ring whereby said caseis secured to said mounting ring, a third opening positioned on saidrear wall and first pin means movably mounted on said mounting ring andreceived by said third opening for releasably preventing the movement ofsaid thermometers case on said mounting ring.
 3. The structure asrecited by claim 2 taken in combination with a lock member rotatablymounted on said base member engaging said pin means for releasablypreventing the movement of said pin means.
 4. The structure as recitedby claim 3 wherein said lock member is rotatably mounted in a cavityformed on said base member adjacent said hub portion, said lock memberbeing substantially cylindrical with a truncated portion along one sidethereof, pin second means rotatably mounting said lock member in saidcavity whereby said truncated portion may be aligned with said first pinmeans to permit movement thereof for releasing said thermometer casefrom said mounting ring.
 5. The structure as recited by claim 4 whereinsaid first pin means engages said flexible means upon the rotation ofsaid mounting ring and said thermometer case and braking said case.